THE FILM
SHIMANO, PON.BIKE AND PEOPLE FOR BIKES
PRESENT AN ANTHILL FILMS PRODUCTION
Narrated by the voice of cycling, Phil Liggett. Featuring Jay Bearhead, Nourah Salah, RRDBlocks, Janice Tower, Megan Hottman and Kwabena Danso. With Danny MacAskill and Robert Gesink.
“The bike's life-changing, it's a tool, it's recreation, it's therapy. It helps communities."
— Jay Bearhead
TURNING WHEELS OF CHANGE
Follow six everyday people from vastly different worlds who dedicate their lives to a simple, 200-year-old machine. Their trials and tribulations reveal the bicycle's unique power to change lives and help build a better world.
Covering many different global issues—from climate change and indigenous trauma to socio-economic inequality and more livable cities —The Engine Inside sparks hope and agency in everyone it touches.
WITNESS THE REVOLUTION
For almost a century now, we’ve suffered the unforeseen consequences of a car-consumed culture. But because of a global pandemic, the transformative power of the bike is finally starting to take hold.
THE DIRECTOR
Darcy Wittenburg
Darcy leads creative development and production at Anthill Films. An experienced and accomplished cinematographer, together with his colleagues at Anthill Films Darcy pioneered many of the early filming techniques used in mountain bike film. Darcy has directed nine feature cycling films as well as hundreds of short films and commercials for brands such as Toyota, Sony, Red Bull, Clif Bar, Shimano, Trek, The Olympic Channel and many more.
“We’re at a crux in human history. Never before have we experienced so many converging problems: the climate crisis, social and economic inequality, cultural trauma, and transportation issues. "The Engine Inside" is about unlocking the bicycle as a simple, and often overlooked, solution for many of our challenges. The timing and the message of this film has never been as poignant or as urgent as it is now. We hope this empowers people all over the world to ride their bikes and know that a better future is possible.”
- Darcy Wittenburg
THE NARRATOR
Phil Liggett
Phil Liggett MBE is a world renowned English commentator and journalist who covers professional cycling. Known as the voice of cycling, Phil has been commentating the Tour de France since its first English broadcast in 1972, as well as the Olympics and numerous bike races for ITV, NBC Sports and SBS.
GUEST ATHLETES
DANNY MACASKILL
Danny MacAskill is one of the most recognized and talented cyclists on the planet. More artist, than athlete, when Danny looks at a street he doesn’t see a street - he sees a playground. What would happen to our world, cities, bodies and minds if we changed our perspective and started looking as streets as so much more than a place for cars?
ROBERT GESINK
Robert Gesink is a veteran Dutch racing cyclist for UCI World Team Jumbo–Visma. On tour, his mission is to destroy himself so his teammates can ultimately win. He has spent years training his body for this punishment. And while few humans can match the Robert's speed and strength, every one of us has an “engine inside” whose power can be unlocked when we get on a bike.
THE CHARACTERS
JAY BEARHEAD - INDIGENOUS RIDER
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Jay Bearhead is XXX and currently resides in Tk'emlúps (Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada). At X years old, Jay was put into foster care before being sent to a residential school in the US, where he suffered horrendous abuse and trauma. Trying to lead a “normal” life working in a bike shop, before falling into addiction and homelessness following a breakup, Jay says the bike literally saved his life. Now on a path to healing, he mentors indigenous youth dealing with their own generational trauma through mountain biking.
MEGAN HOTTMAN - CYCLIST LAWYER
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The Cyclist Lawyer. Megan is a powerhouse in and outside of the office. A former professional road and track cyclist, Megan was competing in World Cups and racing in 2011 for a pro team, "Primal-MapMyRide", before hanging up her race bike and getting to work at her practice, Hottman Law Office, AKA The Cyclist Lawyer. Blending her passion and profession, Megan has now represented over 120 cyclists in their cases, as well as provided counsel to other lawyers, cycling groups, bike shops, and organizations. “I'm doing what I was meant to do."
NOURAN SALAH - CYCLING GECKOS FOUNDER
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While many of us don’t think twice about riding a bike, in some places in the world, it is still frowned upon for women to ride bikes. Cairo-born and raised, Nouran is a force to be reckoned with, breaking social taboos is non-negotiable for her. Challenging the status quo, Nouran started Cycling Geckos—the first female cycling movement in Egypt—to empower women to ride bikes and change the narrative. The group hold regular meet-ups as well as aiding underprivileged communities by bicycle.
KWABENA DANSO - BOOMERS BIKES FOUNDER
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When Kwabena Danso left his small village Yonso, Ghana, to go to school in the city, he realized that all of the economic opportunities were confined to the city. After meeting someone who introduced him to bamboo as a material for bicycle frames, he went home to build a factory for his business Boomers Bikes, which has since produced over 3,000 frames, employed over 50 young people aged between 18 and 29, and provided an income to 20 young people who harvest and 200 farmers who cultivate bamboo.
JANICE TOWER - ENDURANCE ATHLETE
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Janice began competitive cycling when many would be thinking about retiring and has since completed a huge swathe of mountain bike stage races from the Absalon Cape-Epic in South Africa, Trans-Rockies in Canada, Trans-Alps in Europe, to the 350-mile trans-Alaska Iditarod Trail Invitational in winter—which she recently completed for a second time after turning 60. As well as racer, Janice coaches pro cyclists through to newies; and has set up a Mighty Bikes kids program that coaches over 200 children. She’s also Founder of Singletrack Adventures, the local trail association for mountain biking in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska.
RRDBLOCKS - BIKE LIFE RIDER
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Darnell Williams, AKA RRDBlocks, is an infamous rider based in New York City. Inspired by Rough Ryderz videos, his street riding led him to start Bike Life in NYC: a movement that sees hundreds of cyclists take to the streets, block traffic, and generally have fun riding bikes—everyone is welcome, whatever bike they ride. It’s all about community for DBlocks, who also hands out bikes to kids all over the city. Riding every day, you’ll find DBlocks and his crew dominating freeways, popping wheelies and riding a bike just about any way imaginable.
"It makes you believe in yourself and believe in the things that you can do in this world. So just start doing something you wouldn't believe you can do."
— Nouran Salah
